Old Sorcery - The Outsider - review
Old Sorcery - The Outsider - review
Tracklist
01. Magick Triumph02. Barrowgrim Asylum
03. Innigkeit
04. The Interior Gates Of The True Soul
05. The Pain Threshold
06. Where Sorrow Reigns
A review by
AndyMetalFreak February 07, 2026
This band is the one-man atmospheric black/dungeon synth project of Finnish multi-instrumentalist Vechi Vrăjitor. The band currently has 7 full-length albums to date, including this latest offering. Through his signature combination of old-school dungeon synth and atmospheric black metal, The Outsider takes listeners on another immersive and cinematic journey across dark expansive fantasy fabled lands. Representing the second chapter of the Masks Of The Magi trilogy, an outsider rises from the ashes of dead forest in a land of desolation and ventures into a solitary kingdom whose towers breathe the blackest of magic.
The album has a hefty 70-minute length; however, The Outsider isn't created just as background music for long-winded RPG gaming sessions. Although most songs here are very long, there are enough moments here that I believe justify the intimidating total runtime. Opener "Magick Triumph" runs for over 20 minutes, but the tracks are not nearly as repetitive or monotonous as you may expect for the genre; they're actually quite structurally diverse, as well as being overwhelmingly dense in atmosphere, with a real sense of melancholia.
The synths have a greater level of density than any of Vrăjitor's work prior; they're impressively arranged and diverse, varying from nature-themed sound effects and dramatic symphonies, to enchanting twinkling keys. However, those who are put off by the dungeon synth genre tag would be glad to know the synths and keys generally act as ambient cinematic layers, similar to the likes of Summoning, Lustre, and Eldamar, rather than sounding comparable to Old Nick or Old Tower.
The black metal elements, on the other hand, are more subtle, held slightly deeper in the mix, and although they are unremarkable as a standalone feature, they complement the synths as an equally important contributive layer. The tremolos are generally mid-paced, repetitive and hypnotic, occasionally increasing the tempo with a more ferocious semi-melodic tone, while the rhythm pulsates alongside the guitars and synths with drums that either pound or unleash blast beats. Although the album is non-instrumental, the vocals tend to be very sparse, consisting of high-pitched shrieks and desperate howls, and are often performed in an emotional style similar to DSBM.
Although one-man dungeon synth projects can get written off as aimless bedroom RPG soundtracking, Old Sorcery does more here than tinker and experiment on an amateur level. There's a lot of depth and professionalism behind his work, and The Outsider is arguably his most creative, diverse and atmospheric work yet; it's certainly his most emotionally charged. It's a combination of black metal and dungeon synth done to a good standard, offering an immersive fantasy adventure that invites listeners to dive in and experience at a more intimate level.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 7 |
| Songwriting: | 7 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 6 |
Written on 07.02.2026 by
Written on 07.02.2026 by
An honest review that you don't necessarily have to agree with. Comments
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Definitely the Old I like the least, compared to Old Tower and Old Nick.
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Posts: 6655 Written by A Real Mönkey on 10.02.2026 at 01:49 All are hit and miss for me, I like some of what each have released but find the majority of their works quite underwhelming, but then I've often struggled with dungeon synth myself.
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